Thursday, December 17, 2020

Do the Dead Remember Anything?

https://ebible.com/questions/20337-do-the-dead-remember-anything-psalm-88-11#answer-35434

Do the dead remember anything? Psalm 88:11

Psalms 88:10-12
10
Do you show your wonders to the dead?
    Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 
Is your love declared in the grave,
    your faithfulness in Destruction?
12 
Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
    or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

"The living may indite 'meditations among the Tombs', but the dead know nothing, and therefore can declare nothing." -- C.H. Spurgeon

Psalms 88:11

ESV - ¹¹ Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?

Clarify • Share • Edit • Delete • Asked April 08 2019 • Jack Gutknecht

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Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

I think that this is only an apparent contradiction in the Bible. Yes, it is true that Psalm 88:11 and
Ecclesiastes 9:5 both SEEM to teach that the dead know nothing. But what about 2 Corinthians 5:8? --2 Corinthians 5:8 New American
Standard Bible (NASB)" "we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord."

The passage assumes that the dead are conscious, conscious of the Lord (Php 1:20-note, Php 1:21, Php 1:22, 23 Lk 23:43; Acts 7:59); otherwise departure from the body
would be a worse condition, with regard to Him, than being in the body.
(Plummer, A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. 1915. New York: Scribner). This is Alfred Plummer. And this, 2 Corinthians 5:8 is only one of many passages that speak of souls being conscious after death (e.g., 2 Sam 12:23; 2 Cor 5:8, Luke 16:19-31) –In Christ’s account of the rich man and Lazarus we have the matter summed up and settled that the soul is conscious after death. Both men died and were buried. Though their bodies were in the graves, each of them was alive and conscious. The rich man in Hell could see, hear, speak, and feel (Luke 16:19-31).

The citation of a few New Testament verses make it clear that man’s conscious existence is endless.
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose (Matthew 27:52).
Please notice how the Holy Spirit says that the “bodies” slept. Jesus said:
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep... Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead (John 11:11, 14).
Death to our Lord was never anything more than sleep. It is a figure of speech that the Bible applies, for there is never a pause in our consciousness. It was the body of Lazarus that was dead. It was his body that Martha said “stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” When Jesus said plainly that Lazarus was dead, He could mean only his body, for when He added: “I go, that I may awake Him out of sleep,” He did this by raising the body of Lazarus from death and the grave. We read in verse forty-four: “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes.” The part of Lazarus that was dead was that part of him that was bound “hand and foot, and his face.”

Warren Wiersbe cites John 11:11, too, saying “sleep” symbolizes natural death. The body may sleep (in death), but the soul never sleeps in death. There is no such thing as soul-sleep!

April 10 2019 • 2 responses • Share • Edit • Delete

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Why did God strike Uzzah dead for touching the Ark of the Covenant?

The story of Uzzah and the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Samuel 6:1-7 and 1 Chronicles 13:9-12. As the ark was being transported, the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, and a Levite named Uzzah took hold of the ark. God's anger burned against Uzzah and He struck him down and he died. Uzzah's punishment does appear to be extreme for what we might consider to be a good deed. However, there are the reasons why God took such severe action.

First, God had given Moses and Aaron specific instructions about the Tent of Meeting and the movement of the Ark of the Covenant. "After Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of Meeting" (Numbers 4:15). No matter how innocently it was done, touching the ark was in direct violation of God's law and was to result in death. This was a means of preserving the sense of God's holiness and the fear of drawing near to Him without appropriate preparation.

Notice how David took men with him to collect the ark, rather than allowing Abinadab and his sons to bring it to him. That was a great mistake, since it ought never to have been put upon a cart, old or new. It was to be borne upon men's shoulders, and carried by Levites only, and those of the family of Kohath (Exodus 25:12-14; Numbers 7:9), using the poles prescribed. Failing to follow God's precise instructions would be seen as (a) not revering God's words when He spoke them through those such as Moses, whom He had appointed; (b) having an independent attitude that might border on rebellion, i.e., seeing and acting on things from a worldly, rather than a spiritual, perspective; or (c) disobedience.

Second, the ark had stayed for a period of time at Abinadab's house (2 Samuel 6:3), where his sons, Uzzah and Ahio, may well have become accustomed to its presence. There's an old saying, "familiarity breeds contempt," that could apply in this case. Uzzah, having been around the ark in his own home, could very likely forget the holiness that it represented. There are times when we, too, fail to recognize the holiness of God, becoming too familiar with Him with an irreverent attitude.

Third, the account tells us the oxen stumbled. The cart didn't fall and neither did the Ark, just as the boat carrying Jesus and the disciples rocked fiercely in the storm, though it wasn't necessarily in danger of sinking (Matthew 8:24-27). And yet, just as with the disciples who failed to put their faith in their Master, Uzzah, for a moment, felt it was his responsibility to save the integrity of God, and that our almighty God somehow needed Uzzah's assistance. He presumed that, without his intervention, God's presence would be dealt a blow. As Job asks, "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?" (Job 11:7). "His greatness no-one can fathom" (Psalm 145:3). "His understanding no-one can fathom" (Isaiah 40:28). Moses lost his right to enter the promised land because he felt his intervention was needed when he struck the rock, instead of speaking to it as God had commanded (Numbers 20:7-12). We need to listen carefully to what God has to say to us, and in obedience strive to do all He commands. Yes, God is loving and merciful, but He is also holy and He defends His holiness with His power, and affronts to His holiness sometimes bring about His holy wrath. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).

Something of God's presence in the Ark of the Covenant seems to be lost in the church today. In the time of Moses, the people knew the awesomeness of God's absolute holiness. They had witnessed great miracles when the ark was with them. They respected that God's ways and thoughts are much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). In truth, the more we try to bring God down to our worldly way of thinking or reasoning, the further away He will seem to us. Those who would draw near to God and have Him draw near to them are those who approach Him in reverence and holy fear. Uzzah forgot that lesson, and the consequences were tragic. –S. Michael Houdmann

As S. Michael Houdmann has already said, God had given particular instructions through Moses how the tabernacle was to be erected, dismantled, and moved (Numbers 4), and the main pieces of furniture were to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites who were descended from Kohath (Num 4:9-20). However, when Uzza, David, and company used a new cart drawn by oxen, they were following the pattern of the pagan Philistines (1 Sam 6), not the pattern given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

“God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” Hudson Taylor

Doing God’s work God’s way brings God’s blessing. God’s work must be done in God’s way or there will be consequences. God had warned about taking hold of the ark to steady it (or at least about touching it) in the law of Moses, and every Israelite knew it (Num 1:51; 4:15, 20). -- Rev. Jack C. Gutknecht

Monday, December 7, 2020

Why I Memorize the Bible

https://scripturememory.com/why

Why should you memorize Scripture?

Tim Maas

Situations in which the application of Scriptural principles may be needed or relevant may arise suddenly, or with insufficient time or opportunity to search the Bible for appropriate guidance.

There may also be occasions (perhaps even lengthy intervals) when a Christian (for whatever reason) does not have a copy of the Bible readily available.

Knowledge of memorized passages is also a highly effective tool in personal evangelism, enabling the Christian to speak instantly and accurately to others about God and salvation through faith in Christ.

At such times, a previous concerted effort to commit Scripture passages to memory will be able to provide inspired guidance, comfort, and witness.

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Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Tim Maas' answer would serve as my introduction to a sermon.

1. It is commanded (Dt 6:6-7)

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

—Deuteronomy 6:6-7

This is a direct command from God for His people. We are to treasure His Word in our hearts first, then carefully teach our children to do the same.

Deuteronomy 6:6

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway, the literary genius, said of his life: “I live in a vacuum that is as lonely as a radio tube when the batteries are dead, and there is no current to plug into.”

This is a startling statement, given the fact that Hemingway’s life would be the envy of anyone who had bought the values of our modern society. Hemingway was known for his tough-guy image and globe-trotting pilgrimages to exotic places. He was a big-game hunter, a bullfighter, a man who could drink the best of them under the table. He was married four times and lived his life seemingly without moral restraint or conscience. But on a sunny Sunday morning in Idaho, he pulverized his head with a shotgun blast.

There was another side to Hemingway’s life, one that few people know about. He grew up in an evangelical Christian home. His grandparents were missionaries, and his father was a devoted churchman and friend of evangelist D. L. Moody. Hemingway’s family conformed to the strictest codes of Christianity, and as a boy and young man he was active in his church.

Then came Word War I. As a war correspondent, Hemingway saw death and despair firsthand. His youthful enthusiasm for Christianity soured, and Hemingway eventually rejected the faith he had once claimed.

While we don’t know all that transpired in Hemingway’s heart, it seems he never developed a truly personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Genuine Christianity means more than living in a Christian environment, going through catechism, conforming to the codes, and affirming the truths of Scripture. True Christians are non-negotiated followers of Christ, those who are progressively moving toward Him and who understand all of life in the context of His teaching.

The point is not Hemingway’s life. It’s my life and your life. If we aren’t cultivating a living, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, then we, too, may respond as Hemingway did when life’s questions are agonizingly unanswerable or when our inner impulses are too seductive for us to resist. An allegiance based on systems, rituals, and rules is never enough to keep us loyal.

“Moody,” January/February 1997, pp. 23-24

Deuteronomy 6:7ff

I Take God …

I take God the Father to be my chief end and highest good.
I take God the Son to be my prince and Savior.
I take God the Holy Spirit to be my sanctifier, teacher, guide, and comforter.
I take the Word of God to be my rule in all my actions and the people of God to be my people under all conditions.
I do hereby dedicate and devote to the Lord all I am, all I have, and all I can do.
And this I do deliberately, freely, and forever.

Baptismal declaration written by Philip Henry, father of Matthew Henry

Let's face it folks, we are called to memorize Scripture.

Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tells us to bind God’s law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives. We must know Scripture first before we can teach it or apply it as God desires.

To summarize my first point on why I should memorize Scripture, God tells us to.

—Deuteronomy 6:6-7

This is a direct command from God for His people. We are to treasure His Word in our hearts first, then carefully teach our children to do the same. Our ministry's methods and memory courses are optional, but the practice of memorizing Scripture is not. We need it, and our children do too!

2. For spiritual success (Joshua 1:8).

It offers spiritual success. Scripture memorization offers spiritual success.

God directly tells Joshua [and us, indirectly], “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

—Joshua 1:8

There aren’t many guarantees in life, but here is one: if you memorize Scripture, meditate on it, and act on it, you will have spiritual success!

The Word of God grows spiritual fruit: “... those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.”

—Luke 8:15

It’s also vital to growing into spiritual maturity: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."

—1 Pet. 2:2

In addition to that, knowing the Word of God makes your prayer life more effective: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

—John 15:7

3. For spiritual warfare (Eph 6:17)

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

It equips us for spiritual warfare.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

—Ephesians 6:17

The Word of God in your heart is equivalent to a sword in your hand. When you’re fighting against the spiritual “rulers of darkness of this age” (Ephesians 6:12), a tiny Swiss Army knife isn’t going to protect you as much as a full-sized sword. Arm yourself against the lies of the enemy with the powerful truth of God’s Word.

Jesus Himself, though perfect in His understanding of God’s ways, memorized Scripture and used it in His battle against the lies of Satan. When we memorize Scripture, we follow the example of Christ: But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

—Matthew 4:4

Ephesians 6:17

Collision

In his book, A Thinking Man’s Guide to Pro Football, Paul Zimmerman quotes a physicist who made a rather startling discovery. When a 240 pound football lineman (capable of running 100 yards in 11 seconds) collides with a 240 pound running back (capable of covering the same distance in 10 seconds), the resultant kinetic energy is “enough to move 66,000 pounds—or 33 tons—one inch. The scientist says further that in all likelihood, the collision would deliver to the player’s helmet a blow nearly 1000 times the force of gravity.

Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 26

Beloved, that's the kind of power we have for our spiritual warfare! We who have received "salvation" can "take the sword of the Spirit," our one and only offensive spiritual weapon and use it against the devil and his minions. With tons and tons of power!

Beloved, if you need help with your Scripture memorization, please, please, consult Scripture Memory Fellowship (formerly Bible Memory Association), and they will gladly help you! They sure have helped me, and I've been in it for decades, ever since I got saved as a teenager. And now I am 73 years old! See this link for a review of these 3 reasons and additional ones why you should memorize Scripture: https://scripturememory.com/why